Woman's Surcoat
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1860/90
Medium
Body: silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave; embroidered with silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped wild silk in laid work and couching; neck, front, hem, sides and sleeves: silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave; embroidered with silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped silk wrapped cotton in knot, satin and stem stitches; laid work and couching; edged with silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave; sleeve bands: silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave; embroidered with silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped silk in knot, satin and stem stitches; laid work and couching; three ribbons: silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped cotton, plain weave self-patterned by main warp floats (narrowest has gold-leaf-over-lacquered-strip-wrapped silk); lined with silk, plain weave
Dimensions
97.5 × 130.2 cm (38 3/8 × 51 1/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
157429
About the Artist
Han-Chinese
**Han-Chinese** was the collective attribution given to anonymous artisans of Han Chinese descent who crafted intricate embroidered textiles during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). These makers, active primarily in the late 18th to early 20th centuries, specialized in luxurious garments and furnishings that showcased the pinnacle of Han Chinese needlework traditions. Their early lives and individual ...